July 14, 2003 — The mysterious remains of a gelatinous sea creature found washed up on a Chilean beach have turned out to be those of a sperm whale, according to news reports.
The remains, 12.4 meters (41 feet) in length and weighing 13 tons, were actually first thought to be the skin of a whale when they were discovered June 24 near Maullin on the Pacific Ocean coast, the Center for Cetacean Conservation in Santiago said.
But after taking samples of the remains and examining them, the glands of a sperm whale were found, Chillean experts said.
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"It has not been necessary to do DNA analysis in order to obtain identification, it was enough to find the dermal glands that belong only to this group," scientists Sergio Letelier and Jose Yanez said in a statement.
Explaining the giant blob, which resembled, in shape at least, a dead giant squid, the scientists said that when a sperm whale dies at sea, it rots until it becomes a "skeleton suspended in a semi-liquid mass within a bag of skin and blubber."
Eventually, the skin tears, the bones sink, and the skin and blubber float.
"This washes up and has the appearance of an octopus because the spermaceti organ keeps its bulky shape," they said.
The spermaceti is a large bulbous organ on the forehead region of the whale. Its main purpose is for echolocation, although some scientists suggest it also aids in the animals' flotation.
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Name: Sperm Whale (Physeter catodon or Physeter macrocephallus)
Primary Classification: Odontoceti (Toothed Whales) Location: Worldwide oceans. Habitat: Deep waters in temperate and tropical oceans. Diet: Mainly squid and octopus. Also deepwater fish, sharks, skates and giant squid. Size: Up to 65 ft in length and 63 tons in weight. Description: Dark gray or brown in color; pale underparts; enormous, square head; small eyes; long, narrow lower jaw with conical, round-tipped teeth; wrinkled skin; short, stubby flippers; knobs from dorsal fin to tail; triangular tail flukes Cool Facts: It is the world's largest carnivore. It can dive to greater depths than any other mammal, nearly 4,000 feet (there's evidence that they can dive to 10,170 feet.) It can stay submerged for almost 2 hours. It eats up to 1 ton of squid per day. Conservation Status: Vulnerable Major Threats: Human disturbance, chemical pollution and entanglement in fishing nets. What Can I Do?: Visit The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society and The Ocean Conservancy for information on how you can help. |
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